Original poster: Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> At 06:10 PM 10/15/2006, Tesla list wrote:
Original poster: FIFTYGUY@xxxxxxxIn a message dated 10/15/06 2:47:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, tesla@xxxxxxxxxx writes:>I would think that a 5mA fault current would cause nuisance tripping.They do. And that's after they changed the requirements to decrease the sensitivity a few years ago. In
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. Safety should begin with practices, not reliance on complicated technology. If you keep your appliances in good condition, don't use them in wet environments, install wiring correctly the first time, and don't do anything dumb to damage it, there wouldn't be a need for GFCI's or AFCI's. I suppose you could say the same thing about airbags in cars - we wouldn't need them if people didn't do dumb things.
A while (15-20 years) ago, I ran across statistics that showed that some 16-20 people a year died from electrocution from using a handheld hairdryer in the shower or bath. Now, of course, hairdryers and other bathroom appliances come with cord mounted GFCIs.
While we who fool with electricity for fun might just think that such idiocy qualifies the user for a Darwin Award, GFCIs ARE a good idea in general in residential applications.